Salsa, I started writing some lore stuff. Tell me how this looks.
House of ConquestOr, The Court of Swords
...If an injury has to be done to a man, it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared....
It goes without saying-cattle need butchers. The House of War has ever bent to this task with relish. During certain periods in history, Humans have grown in need of a culling-the earliest and most warlike of the Vampire clans occasionally banded together to prevent a possible threat to the Vampirekind by reducing their numbers. The House of War originally rose in these circumstances. When mankind dared to defy their betters, the House of War struck back with unrelenting cruelty-sending those few permitted to survive, fleeing to huddle under the lights. They protected Vampirekind in this way, and avenged it when needed, all while providing the needed slaves and sacrifices to keep the blood flowing. They slaughtered all who openly defied the rule of night.
At one point, however, there was a disagreement.
One side argued chaos and disorder should rule o'er all-that mankind should be beaten down again and again, never allowed to organize, to govern themselves, to grow too confident-that they should never lose their fear of the darkness, and the red claws...the other side, believed that mankind should be carefully controlled, herded, and manipulated into serving the Vampires willingly-to create an undying Empire. The former ultimately remained the House of War. The latter, however, became the House of Conquest-they were generally younger Vampires, less hidebound to ancient custom, and more open to change and adaptation-they believed in placing the needs of all Vampirekind above their own desires...they would do so by carefully gathering power over the long centuries, subtly manipulating humans, subverting their governments, and ultimately conquering them from within. They call this dark dream the 'Eternal Night', and it is their ultimate goal-an undying Vampire Empire. To the Court of Swords, all goals and ends must ultimately preserve and advance Vampirekind to this state of being...ideally, with their members holding the the reigns of power.
Smaller than the other Houses-most of their numbers preferred to join the House of War-they prefer to show their power from afar, manipulating their enemies into mutual destruction. They wield considerable connections in technology, espionage, politics, business, and entertainment-and are attempting to control all these arenas for their own uses. Mankind is currently, and mostly unwittingly, being prepared for thralldom. Slowly over the centuries, they have been fattened and cowed-to the point where many of them lack even the basic survival skills, or the ability to take care of themselves outside of the system...a system, ultimately designed and hopefully one day entirely controlled by Vampires.
Which is not to say their swords are idle from disuse-being from the Court of War, they take pride in worthy battles. Unlike the Court of Claws, who prefer more bestial combat, they prefer to perfect martial skills-the sword, the axe, the spear, the mace, the bow...they have members who have practiced with these weapons unceasingly for hundreds of years, and desire nothing more than a match worth their time-they have even, in fits of pique, taught these methods to humans to give them a 'sporting chance'. They have, naturally, fully embraced the use of the firearm-which many other Houses seem to have a distaste for. When they are forced to take a direct hand, they are as utterly ruthless as any of the rest of their race-vengeance is a strong motivator for the Court of Swords, and humans and their descendants who anger them particularly are added to the 'Book of Dues'-a weighty tome, carved from the freeely given hides, of willing servants. On it's thousands of pages are the names of every human being who ever wronged Vampires, their original crimes...and their ultimate punishment, once, and to be delivered-not only to them, but all who descend from them.
The Court of Swords is, outwardly, more civilized than the other Houses-they enjoy the benefits of high culture, beautiful music, and thrilling works of art. The trappings of power, money, and blood are most valuable to them-a member of the Court of Swords must always appear to be worthy of the 'Right of Rule', as they call it. Their human thralls are well taken care of (until slaughter), and generally not abused or mistreated-they view it as unworthy of rightful rulers. They wish all Houses to embrace this thought-that Vampirekind should ruthlessly expand itself, and that will require a great deal of blood. Blood that can be best obtained through their methods...ironically, while they wield war as a cudgel to get what they want, ultimately they desire a world that is mostly at peace under their rule-needless conflict merely wastes valuable (and delicious) blood. Many Humans willingly serve the Court because of this, believing the Utopia to come is ultimately worth the price.
When Vampires look for leadership, the House of Conquest usually deigns to lead them-indeed, insofar as much as they can be said to have a government, the Court of Swords is it. They wield considerable powers among their kind, and serve as diplomats when dealing with other supernatural species. They watch over all, and organize the other Houses into a semblance of order, acting as mediators when conflicts arise. They have good relations with the rest of the Houses, but it can't be said they are particularly loved-many of them are jealous of the House of Conquests self claimed position of power. Pestilence, and Famine tend to be the most troublesome of the lot. The Court of Death tends to come strongly on the side of House of Conquest, mostly because they have few allies otherwise. War and Torment are more loyal-useful enforcers, dumb muscle-as long as they get their wars and killing, they are content.
Still, a Vampire civil war has only occurred once in their long history...and they all want to avoid that again. Deferring to the rules of the House of Conquest is a easy, face saving measure that has averted many potential conflicts.
Or, The Court of Claws
...When I said that Mercy stood within the borders of the wood, I meant the lenient beast, with claws. And bloody swift-dispatching jaws...
It goes without saying-cattle need butchers. The House of War has ever bent to this task with relish. During certain periods in history, Humans have grown in need of a culling-the earliest and most warlike of the Vampire clans occasionally banded together to prevent a possible threat to the Vampirekind by reducing their numbers. The House of War originally rose in these circumstances. When mankind dared to defy their betters, the House of War struck back with unrelenting cruelty-sending those few permitted to survive, fleeing to huddle under the lights. They protected Vampirekind in this way, and avenged it when needed, all while providing the needed slaves and sacrifices to keep the blood flowing. They slaughtered all who openly defied the rule of night.
At one point, however, there was a disagreement.
One side argued chaos and disorder should rule o'er all-that mankind should be beaten down again and again, never allowed to organize, to govern themselves, to grow too confident-that they should never lose their fear of the darkness, and the red claws...the other side, believed that mankind should be carefully controlled, herded, and manipulated into serving the Vampires willingly-to create an undying Empire. The latter ultimately became the House of Conquest. The Former, remained the House of War-pure, and undiluted by selfish desires for power, glory, or even the need for blood. To the Court of Claws, war and conflict were the only meaning of existence-of proving who was predator and who was prey, of being worthy to exist. They do not worship or covet blood, as such, though they consume it as the others do-they desire what they call the 'Red'-that state of intoxicated battlelust where all conscious thought ceases, and when they can act on pure, animal instinct. They typically do not wield arms of any sort, merely using their claws, teeth, and bodies as living weapons-they generally view the use of martial weapons, and especially guns, as cowardly and distasteful-though they are not entirely above using them, if they needed to. The Court of Claw is amazingly practical, when it comes to killing.
Throughout the centuries, the House of War has never ceased pursuing this ideal-and when humans began to believe them nothing but a myth, they began to take part in nearly every conflict humans waged against one another. Often on both sides. Many of these conflicts they started themselves, but the House of Conquest started many more for their own diabolic ends-the House of War has no qualms about taking advantage of the chaos caused by other Houses schemes and plots. Ultimately, the House of War seeks total dominance and an endless war, a tide of Red that will never be stopped-they actively attempt to dismantle all semblance of order and peace in the world to bring this about. As long as they are given their dues, however, they do not usually actively oppose the other Courts plots-indeed, if sated and placated, they make strong allies-always willing to lend their claws to any blood drenched task that needs to be done.
Politically, The House of War actually has a somewhat balanced view of humanity-they believe them a weak and pathetic species...but, realize that without humans, they would have no one really left to fight-except other vampires. They favor a strategy of steady culling and dismantling their civilizations, but like any good hunters they are conservationists-always allowing some to live, to breed more. Thus, this somewhat puts them against the core ideals of the House of Death, Pestilence, and Famine who would devastate most of the human populations. The House of Conquest, whom ancient ties still link, is viewed somewhat more favorably-though they disagree on their end goals, their means and motives are similar. They are most friendly with the House of Torment, as both share the same ideals-causing pain.
Or, The Court of Cowls
...PESTILENCE. 1. : a contagious or infectious epidemic disease that is virulent and devastating....
The House of Pestilence claims to have brought the very first Vampires into existence-a claim hotly contested, as can be imagined. Yet, their members are indeed older and stronger-their own lore claims they were once philosophers, arcanists, and alchemists who achieved the goal of eternal life by turning themselves into Vampirekind. If this origin story is true or not, none can say.
An old and respected house, if not loved-the Court of Cowls are the masters of science, alchemy and magic, the highest wielders of the arcane and physical arts-only contested by the Court of Skulls, in many ways. Unlike the Necromancers, who command death, the House of Pestilence wants to control life itself. Their knowledge of biology is unmatched in this regard-despite their obvious assumptions, they are truly skilled at recuperating injuries and healing as they are at producing diseases and bloodbeasts...though, it can be said the enjoy the latter much more-The House of Pestilence seems to favor inducing brutal Darwinian evolution, sped up through the use of chemical warfare. They are odd in that they bear humanity no true dislike-indeed, the House of Pestilence is the least violent against Humankind of all the houses-but, their experiments and plagues are frequently extinction level events. They simply don't care. To them, all humans are merely subjects to further their research, at best-and affordable losses in the cause of science, at worst.
Their creations are desired by all the houses-elixers that can allow a Vampire to treble his strength and speed, make him immune to bullets, or even walk in the sun for a short time. Terrible beasts of flesh, blood, and bone that obey without question. Vast stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons that can destroy even Vampires, if released. The many advantages of their science have earned no small amount of wealth and power...yet, prestige is denied to them, at least while the House of Conquest is in charge.
Battling the House of Pestilence is the very meaning of the word 'Pyrrhic victory'. They tend to use armies of expendable 'Bloodbeasts'-genetically engineered killing machines-to sow terrible havoc, and even the victors quickly find that even a tough of a claw or spine can be slow, lingering death to virulent plague. Which then spreads, and spreads...
Among the Courts, it can be imagined Pestilence doesn't get invited to many dinners-their natural state is to keep to themselves, and they lack strong personal ties with the other Courts-not that it keeps them from doing brisk business. They chafe under the House of Conquest self-imposed rule, but don't directly oppose them-most of their discontent is voiced with their sometimes allies, the House of Famine. The House of Death has a somewhat complicated relationship-they both are seekers of knowledge and truth, but lying in opposite directions of the spectrum-rivals as often as allies. They see the need to stick together, however, as the majority of the Courts lack even their most basic scientific and magic knowledge-together, Pestilence and Death are a potent combination that (as has been observed) could in theory directly challenge House War and Conquests uncontested martial domination of Vampire politics...
Or, The Court of Masks
...They that die by famine die by inches...
The House of Famine was born in lean times, so the old saying goes-their primordial lands were overrun, and they were nearly destroyed by an early civilization of humans, forcing them into a bleak existence, hiding in basements and coffins-eating rats. Such a living sharpened the survivors, however-and when they went to take their revenge, they did so slowly and with great cunning...they took the humans apart piece by piece, metaphorically-slowly but surely starving them-of food, of law, of safety. In the end, the ancient civilization tore itself apart in it's hunger.
This has been their modus operandi since then. Unlike the other courts, they don't view humanity as cattle or an enemy-just as vermin, that must be eradicated, drained to the last drop. They hate humanity, it should be said-favoring the ultimate goal where Vampirekind may live free of the need of humans, perhaps on another source of blood-they desire total genocide, and have many tools to further this end. Always seeking to use their hungers against them, the House of Famine begets chaos wherever they go-they corrupted order and law not for their own power, but to destroy them from the inside out. Only when the beating heart of man is diseased and weakened, can they finally pull it out.
The Court of Masks is the most subtle of courts, relying more than any of the others on espionage, sabotage, blackmail, bribery, and murder in the dark to achieve their goals. They freely spy on the other houses as often as they do the humans-and frequently play the role of weapons dealers and mercenary brokers to their own profit. They are known to sell nearly anything they can get their hands on, though they will only sell to Humankind if the deal will damage somehow-the Court of Masks is known to be quite active in the drug trade, and narcotics are a specialty of theirs.
They rarely engage in open conflict, but when they do, they favor 'anything goes'-they use whatever they have to win, and take an amusing irony in using their armies of mostly human mercenaries (ignorant of their paymasters intentions) to serve as expendable frontline force. Warriors of the Court of Masks are known to honorless thugs, mostly-no trick is too dirty, no tactic to low. They often fight augmented with shadow and illusion magics, of which they are the most skilled at manipulating-hiding their forms and striking when their enemies are at their weakest, using hit & run and guerrilla tactics.
Politically, no Court truly trusts them, and they have no open allies...but, no Court can live without their intricate web of spies and informants, which stretch through all the Houses. Information to the highest bidder earns them no friends-and always at least one enemy-but, the Court of Masks is skilled in balancing relations, always keeping the other houses too needy, never isolating one too much. Like any good dealers, they know how to keep their customers happy...the House of Conquest and War seem to dislike them the most, but they are easily often placated-wars without proper intelligence oft go sour, and both Houses know that information could easily end up in the hands of those they are fighting. The House of Death and Pestilence are closer to them in design-and both of those houses usually choose to do their scheming and plotting only when Famine is there to organize and protect them. One wonders how long House Famine, the leader of the 'opposition', will chafe under the fist of the House of Conquest.
Or, The Court of Skulls
..A dying man needs to die, as a sleepy man needs to sleep, and there comes a time when it is wrong, as well as useless, to resist...
Coming from similar backgrounds as the House of Pestilence, the Court of Skulls have existed since time immemorial-they themselves claim it was their experiments into shedding the mortal body that first about the 'progenitor' Vampires, the first sires of their kind. Their most popular theory is that the historical/biblical figure 'Cain' was the first Vampire, the first murderer...
Their early history was far more glorious than they are today-as they will no doubt tell you, if you are foolish enough to bring it up. Ancient realms of Egypt, Babylon and Ur-Atlantis all flourished under their...enlightened rule. All the realms in particular shared a reverence and respect for the dead that allowed the Courts true aims to flourish-the mastery of Death itself. They found an endless supply of blood-and more importantly, cold bodies for their Necromantic and Demonic rituals...until, of course, time swept all their power away-the same string of incidents that incidentally birthed the House of Famine, the fall of the Old Nations. In modern times, the Court of Skulls has been reduced to a shadow of what they once were-Necromancers skulking in basements and sewers, hiding from the light-they are very few in number these days. Many of them long to reclaim their lost glory.
They had a brief resurgence in WW2-where bodies were once again plentiful. Many of the greatest massacres of the time had the hand of the Court of Skulls, and they've continued in this vein ever since-wherever death flourishes, the Court of Skulls gather like crow to gather more corpses for their endless experiments. Humans do no exist to them as sentient beings-only raw materials, like clay.
Their means and methods are not unfamiliar to the House of Pestilence-they seek knowledge, first and foremost. Unlike the somewhat absentminded ideals of that house, however, The Court of Skulls researches all as a means to an end-the purging of life from Earth, the hastening of Entropy and the eventual end of creation. Which gives them no little reputation for meglomania among Vampirekind. They are the ones most likely to delve into the most forbidden arts, to damn themselves to the deepest pits. To this end, they endlessly seek what they call 'The Chalice'-it is either a physical item or perhaps a metaphorical concept-an item capable of extinguishing all life on Earth at once. Many of their highest order have gone beyond the usual idea of undeath. Having becomes 'Liches'-their brittle bones and hollow flesh, yet still animated, the Court of Skulls is the only court that could in theory live without the blood of living beings-they have perfected the arts of Necromancy and Lifestealing, and can perpetuate their own existences nearly forever, which is the only thing has staved off their extinction.
They are the true masters of the arcane among the Courts-even the Court of Pestilence, who has invested more in science to offset this. Not merely raisers of the Dead, the Court of Skulls boasts mastery in all forms of magic-abjuration, conjuration, illusion, enchantment and evocation-among others. When taking open battle (which they rarely do, being of so few in numbers) they will devastate enemies with ferocious barrages of magic-while relying on their undead creations to force the field, an untiring, unyielding mass of rotten flesh and cold bone. It has been noted that undead are effective against Vampires-the undeads sheer numbers, lack of blood to drink, and immunity to fear and panic show how truly Vampires can be, despite their strengths.
Politically, the House of Death is extremely isolated-their views on the fringe of what Vampirekind considers 'sustainable living', and beyond the sins of even their bleak kind. Torment and Death all oppose them at every turn-House Conquest, greedy for knowledge and power, serves a counterweight to those two houses unrelenting hostility-as long as the Court of Skulls tows the line. Famine deals with this house only on the basis of need, knowing they are if nothing else, a potential ally of convenience. They have a complicated relationship with Pestilence-both sides having something of a rivalry, but knowing that only together can they protect their houses if ever the 'ruling bloc' decided to finish them off-and, maybe, even dethroning House Conquest one day...
Or, The Court of Needles
...Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding....
The youngest, relatively, of the Vampire Courts came about in the last two thousand years-when their founder, Capal, a legendary Arcanist-managed to bridge the gap between worlds, spaces and times. No one is quite sure how he did this, though it apparently involved a great deal of torment-his notes claimed that, if one wishes to tear a hole in reality, they must use the mass agony and ecstasy of living beings as a sort of hypodermic needle...When he stepped through the 'pain-gate', as he called them, many assumed he was lost (or worse) forever...unfortunately for everyone else, he returned. Leonard certainly had a story to tell. He claimed he had been to places higher than what we conceive of Heaven, and lower than what we assumed was Hell-that he had felt the most exquisite pleasures and pains any immortal could feel and live through-he had transcended. He was permanently changed...and the rest of his long, long life was spent trying to recreate what he had felt and lived through, trying to break the barriers between worlds apart with the screams of the tortured. An entire court sprung around him as tales grew long and wide-hedonists and sadists everyone-and as the Court of Needles grew, the exact line between began to blur, then vanish.
Capal eventually vanished back into a plane-gate of his own devising, taking his secrets with him. He was said to have been 'bored' with his humdrum torments of masses of innocents, and his last words were apparently that he would only return if things were 'more interesting' again. His followers took this as a rebuke of the highest order.
His court lived on, however, eternally seeking to follow their master by emulating his beliefs. For their time, they have always sought to provoke strong emotions-mostly pain, but nothing is off the table-they call this 'Provoking', and it is their most practiced art. Humans tend to be their instruments in this design, and those unfortunate enough to fall into their webs face most unfortunate fates. Throughout their relatively short history, they have managed to collect a great deal of influence-spreading their chaos, sin, and immorality like a plague. Ultimately, they seek nothing more than the entire world screaming in pain, all at once-an event they claim will shatter our perception of reality like glass...transcending all beings to a higher place of existence, and hopefully bringing Capal back to lead them-despite their founders mastery of arcane, they themselves admit their members lack the greatest arcane skills of the very oldest vampire courts-they seek arcane lore and skilled wielders feverishly. To this end, the Court has eagerly awaited the final war where they will no longer be held back by the need for secrecy-of all the Courts, they most especially advocate coming out of the shadows. Only then can they capture and torment captives on such a mass scale as to provoke the shattering of reality, in their own minds. Up till to the present era, mostly due to the pressure of the other courts, they have been carefully held in check. They have served as general shock troopers in most other conflicts, and when they cannot find others they willingly practice on their own-nearly all of which is accepted gladly.
In battle, the Court of Needles tend to be graceful and artistic-their tactics are almost never designed to kill, only cripple, incapacitate, and maim. Living subjects are always preferred. They dislike rude weapons such as guns, which rob them of vital lives to 'provoke'-though they are more than happy using such things as stun guns, proving they are not adverse to technology. Their most famous and deadly weapon is one of their devising-the 'Wireblade', a sort of monomolecular metal wire whip, a device that was apparently constructed from Capals notes on otherworldly sources. Wireblade Dervishes, as they are named, can use these weapon to inflict terrible pain-moving so fast, a human may lose his body parts faster than he can count them...soundless, terrifying, and ultimately deadly-Dervishes enjoy bleeding and cutting enemies apart slowly, piece by piece. They have also defiled the honorable art of Flesh Crafting into a form they call 'Flesh Twisting'-tormenting humanoids into madness, making them into horrible shapes-eternally in pain, yet very alive-festooned with wires, hooks, wheels, gears, nails, rods and other fiendish devices-these 'Twisters', as they are so affectionately called, tend to guard the Courts halls and supplement them on the battlefield. Their greatest horror is that these beings apparently are at a point where they actually enjoy their state...
Politics wise, the Court of Needles is most friendly with the Court of Claws-they share similar ideals, only differing in that the Claws prefer to kill, and eat...and the Needles to eat, then kill. They are generally loyal to the House of Conquest as a rule, though how long until the rein snaps is anyones guess-they have been very patient. Famine and Pestilence are neutral, though they enjoy working together when their interests rarely align. The House of Death is generally their enemy-their would no doubt be open war between them, if the House of Conquest did not maintain order. Dead things, as a rule, feel no pain-they despise the House of Death for if their dreams come to fruition, there will be no one left to feel anything.
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Topic: Vampires: Agents of the Apocalypse (Read 6440 times)